U.S. patent number 7,433,675 [Application Number 10/509,397] was granted by the patent office on 2008-10-07 for communication system and related supervision method.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Nortel Networks Limited. Invention is credited to Pierre Lescuyer, Thierry Lucidarme.
United States Patent |
7,433,675 |
Lucidarme , et al. |
October 7, 2008 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
Communication system and related supervision method
Abstract
The invention concerns a communication system comprising a radio
unit, several terminal facilities and a local administration
server. The radio unit comprises a first communication interface
with the terminal facilities, a second radio communication
interface with a cellular network, a module for identifying a
subscription to the cellular network and device for handover of
multiple user streams between the cellular network and the
respective terminal facilities connected to the first interface
when the subscription is identified by said module. The local
administration server comprises device for communication with the
terminal facilities, independent of the cellular network, to
supervise the exchanges over the first communication interface.
Inventors: |
Lucidarme; Thierry
(Montigny-le-Bretonneux, FR), Lescuyer; Pierre
(Montigny-le-Bretonneux, FR) |
Assignee: |
Nortel Networks Limited (St.
Laurent, Quebec, CA)
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Family
ID: |
27799239 |
Appl.
No.: |
10/509,397 |
Filed: |
March 20, 2003 |
PCT
Filed: |
March 20, 2003 |
PCT No.: |
PCT/FR03/00891 |
371(c)(1),(2),(4) Date: |
September 24, 2004 |
PCT
Pub. No.: |
WO03/081928 |
PCT
Pub. Date: |
October 02, 2003 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20050170809 A1 |
Aug 4, 2005 |
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Foreign Application Priority Data
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Mar 25, 2002 [FR] |
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02 03696 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
455/406 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04W
88/02 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H04M
11/00 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;455/406,405,550,432.1,434,435.1,452.2,408,456.2,456.3,410,411,461,550.1 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Other References
Internet Engineering Task Force, "Network Working Group Request for
Comments (RFC)1661 / The Point-to Point Protocol (PPP)," Jul. 1994,
50 pgs. cited by other .
3GPP, Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UTMS); Report on
Terminal Interfaces--An Overview, TR 27.901, version 3.0.0, Jan.
2000, 10 pgs. cited by other .
3GPP, Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UTMS); Multicall;
Service description; Stage 1, TS 22.135, version 4.0.0, Mar. 2000,
20 pgs. cited by other .
3GPP, Digital cellular telecommunications system (Phase 2+) (GSM);
Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UTMS); Mobile Station
(MS) supporting Packet Switched Services, TS 27.060, version 3.5.0,
Mar. 2001, 29 pgs. cited by other .
IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), IEEE
Standards for Local and Metropolitan Area Networks: Overview and
Architecture, Standard 802-1990, Section 5, Dec. 31, 1990, 31 pgs.
cited by other.
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Primary Examiner: Mehrpour; Naghmeh
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Trop, Pruner & Hu, P.C.
Claims
The invention claimed is:
1. A communication system comprising a radio unit, plural terminal
equipments and a local administration server, wherein the radio
unit comprises: a first communication interface with the terminal
equipments, a second radiocommunication interface with a cellular
network, a module for identifying a subscription to the cellular
network and means for transferring multiple user streams between
the cellular network and the respective terminal equipments through
said radio unit and within the framework of said subscription
identified by said module, and wherein the local administration
server comprises means of communication with the terminal
equipments, independent of the cellular network, to supervise the
interchanges over the first communication interface.
2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a communication
between the local administration server and a terminal equipment is
nude via the radio unit.
3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first
communication interface is a radio interface.
4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least certain of
said multiple user streams between the cellular network and the
respective terminal equipments are simultaneous.
5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least certain of
said multiple user streams between the cellular network and the
respective terminal equipments are handled in packet mode.
6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least certain of
said multiple user streams between the cellular network and the
respective terminal equipments are handled in circuit mode.
7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the radio unit or the
terminal equipments comprise means of measuring an activity
relating to the interchanges over the first communication
interface.
8. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the means of
communication between the local administration server and the
terminal equipments comprise means of providing a billing based on
said activity measurement relating to the interchanges over the
first communication interface.
9. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the terminal
equipments comprise means of reading a payment means, information
relating to the reading of the payment means being transmitted to
the local administration server, and wherein said billing takes
into account said information relating to the reading of the
payment means.
10. The system as claimed in claim 1. wherein the means of
communication between the local administration server and the
terminal equipments comprise means of authenticating said terminal
equipments.
11. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means of
communication between the local administration server and the
terminal equipments comprise means of activating an encryption on
said first communication interface.
12. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the radio unit
comprises means of controlling said multiple user streams between
the cellular network and the respective terminal equipments
connected to the first interface.
13. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said means of
controlling the multiple user streams comprise at least one of the
following elements: means of scheduling the setting up of said
streams, means of managing priorities between the streams, means of
managing queuing for setting up said streams and means of managing
service quality.
14. A supervision method in a communication system comprising a
radio unit, plural terminal equipments and a local administration
server, the radio unit. comprising a first communication interface
with the terminal equipments, a second radiocommunication interface
with a cellular network, the method comprising: identifying, by a
module in the radio unit, a subscription to the cellular network;
transferring multiple user streams between the cellular network and
the respective terminal equipments through said radio unit and
within the framework of said subscription identified by said
module; and the local administration server communicating with the
terminal equipments, independently of the cellular network, to
supervise the interchanges over the first communication
interface.
15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the communication
between the local administration server and a terminal equipment is
made via the radio unit.
16. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said first
communication interface is a radio interface.
17. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein at least certain of
said multiple user streams between the cellular network and the
respective terminal equipments are simultaneous.
18. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein at least certain of
said multiple user streams between the cellular network and the
respective terminal equipments are made in packet mode.
19. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein at least certain of
said multiple user streams between the cellular network and the
respective terminal equipments are made in circuit mode.
20. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising making a
measurement of an activity relating to the interchanges over the
first communication interface by the radio unit or by the terminal
equipments.
21. The method as claimed in claim 20, further comprising producing
a bill based on said measurement of activity relating to the
interchanges over the first communication interface.
22. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the terminal
equipments include means of reading a payment means, the method
further comprising transmitting information relating to the reading
of the payment means to the local administration server, and
wherein said billing takes into account said information relating
to the reading of the payment means.
23. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the communicating
between the local administration server and the terminal equipments
includes authenticating said terminal equipments.
24. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the communicating
between the local administration server and the terminal equipments
includes activating an encryption on said first communication
interface.
25. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising
controlling said multiple user streams between the cellular network
and the respective terminal equipments connected to the first
interface by the radio unit.
26. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein controlling the
multiple user streams includes at least one of the following:
scheduling of setting up said streams, managing priorities between
the streams, and performing queuing for setting up said streams,
and managing service quality.
27. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the radio unit
comprises a mobile termination.
28. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the radio unit
includes plural different types of interfaces to communicate with
different terminal equipments.
29. A radio unit, comprising: a first communication interface to
communicate with plural terminal equipments; a second radio
communication interface to communicate with a cellular network; a
subscriber identification module to identify a subscription to the
cellular network; and a control module for transferring multiple
user streams between the cellular network and the respective
terminal equipments through the radio unit within a framework of
the subscription identified by the subscriber identification
module.
30. The radio unit of claim 29, wherein the multiple user streams
comprise multiple packet data protocol (PDP) contexts.
31. The radio unit of claim 30, wherein the control module is
configured to schedule setup of the PDP contexts.
32. The radio unit of claim 29, further comprising a measurement
module to measure activity of the terminal equipments to enable
billing for the activities.
33. An apparatus comprising: a radio unit having: a first
communication interface to communicate with plural terminal
equipments; a second radio communication interface to communicate
with a cellular network; a subscriber identification module to
identify a subscription to the cellular network; a control module
for transferring multiple user streams between the cellular network
and the respective terminal equipments through the radio unit
within a framework of the subscription identified by the subscriber
identification module; and a local administration server having an
interface to communicate with the terminal equipments, independent
of the cellular network, to supervise the interchanges over the
first communication interface of the radio unit.
34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the multiple user streams
comprise multiple packet data protocol (PDP) contexts.
35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the control module is
configured to schedule setup of the PDP contexts.
36. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the radio unit further
comprises a measurement module to measure activity of the terminal
equipments to enable billing for the activities.
37. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein said first communication
interface is a radio interface.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a communication system comprising
a distributed terminal designed to offer services to a number of
users based on a single subscription to a mobile radio network, and
a method for supervising communication that can be used in such a
system.
Distributed mobile radio terminals are known. Such a terminal model
has been adopted by the 3GPP organization (see technical report 3G
TR 27.901, version 3.0.0, Jan. 2000). In particular, the GPRS
(General Packet Radio Service) technology, which is an extension of
the GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) system
standardized by the ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards
Institute), can be used to separate two entities within a terminal:
a mobile termination, or MT, which is responsible for radio
transmission and reception with respect to the GPRS network
according to a conventional GSM-type air interface, and a terminal
equipment, or TE, which incorporates the highest level protocol
layers, typically from the transport layer to the application
layer, based on a layered OSI (Open System Interconnect)
representation model.
The communication between the MT and the TE is normally conducted
via a non-specific point-to-point or point-to-multipoint link.
Thus, a terminal equipped with GPRS technology can interchange data
with a GPRS network which may be interconnected with a network
containing application servers, by exploiting the application and
presentation capabilities of the TE and the radio transmission
offered by the MT.
By way of illustration of this technology and its applications, it
is worth remembering that numerous mobile phones currently
incorporate a modem and have a port which can be used to connect
them to a peripheral device, such as a personal digital assistant.
In this case, a person having taken out a subscription with an
operator having a mobile radio network can use his or her personal
assistant as terminal equipment (TE), for example to consult an
Internet data site, whereas the mobile phone (MT in this case) will
act as a relay for the Internet protocol (IP) data for which it
will adapt the format for interchanging the data, over a radio
channel, with the mobile radio network, itself connected to the
Internet in this example.
The UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication System) technology,
standardized by the 3GPP, can be used to obtain the same separation
between MT and TE. A UMTS distributed terminal can therefore in the
same way interchange data with a UMTS network.
Moreover, there are mobile radio terminals that can support several
simultaneous communications.
The abovementioned GPRS system can be used to open, for the same
user, a number of communication sessions, called PDP (Packet Data
Protocol) contexts, for the purpose of packet mode data
interchanges with the network. Because of this functionality, a
user can theoretically surf the Internet in WAP (Wireless
Application Protocol) mode on his or her GPRS mobile phone and
access a website on his or her computer connected to his or her
mobile phone, via the activation of two PDP contexts.
The UMTS system provides the same capability and in addition has a
multicall functionality enabling a plurality of speech calls to be
set up, for a particular user, using a circuit mode transmission,
each speech call being carried by a dedicated radio channel. A
general description of this function can be found in the technical
specification TS 22.135, version 4.0.0, published by the 3GPP in
Mar. 2000. Such multicall systems are described for example in
US-A-2002/013150 and EP-A-0 971 525.
However, the use of a distributed terminal as described previously
is linked to the concept of mobile radio network subscriber,
because a user must have a subscription from which the network
operator manages his or her profile and his or her calls (service
access, call characteristics, usage billing, etc.). The
subscription with the operator is in practice embodied, in a GSM or
UMTS type cellular system, by a subscriber identity module (SIM)
belonging to the MT. If two people want to use the services offered
by a mobile operator, for example using two TEs linked to the same
MT, the network operator can no longer distinguish between the two
users.
An object of the present invention is to allow independent
supervision of the various users of a mobile radio network, in a
shared network subscription model.
Another object of the present invention is to allow an independent
use of the services offered by a mobile operator for different
users from a shared network subscription.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention thus proposes a communication system comprising a
radio unit, several terminal equipments and a local administration
server. The radio unit comprises a first communication interface
with the terminal equipments, a second radiocommunication interface
with a cellular network, a module for identifying a subscription to
the cellular network. and means for transferring multiple user
streams between the cellular network and the respective terminal
equipments connected to the first interface within the framework of
the subscription identified by said module. The local
administration server comprises means of communication with the
terminal equipments, independent of the cellular network, to
supervise the interchanges over the first communication
interface.
The multiple user streams between the terminal equipments and the
cellular network can be successive or simultaneous and can be
conveyed as required either in packet mode, for data transmissions
for example, or in circuit mode, for speech calls for example.
The communications between the terminal equipments and the radio
unit (acting as an MT) can be based on different interfaces or even
just one type of interface with a common protocol, radio for
example. In the latter case, any interchanges between the radio
unit and the local administration server can preferably be
conducted using the same type of interface.
Activity measurements to ascertain the effective usage of each user
of a terminal equipment can be taken on the radio unit or
preferably on each terminal equipment. They can then be used as a
basis for billing the users based on the communications between the
terminal equipments and the local administration server. This
enables the radio unit holder or manager to offer customers a
cellular network access service without needing any particular
coordination with the operator of that network: all that is needed
is to take out a subscription.
The supervision conducted by the local administration server can
also cover the functions of terminal equipment authentication and
local encryption of calls between MT and TEs.
According to another aspect, the invention proposes a supervision
method in a communication system comprising a radio unit, several
terminal equipments and a local administration server. The radio
unit comprises a first communication interface with the terminal
equipments, a second radiocommunication interface with a cellular
network, a module for identifying a subscription to the cellular
network and means for transferring multiple user streams between
the cellular network and the respective terminal equipments
connected to the first interface within the framework of the
subscription identified by said module. The local administration
server communicates with the terminal equipments, independently of
the cellular network, to supervise the interchanges over the first
communication interface.
The invention is well suited to a variety of applications based on
various economic models.
For example, the invention can allow a public transport company to
acquire a distributed terminal, while taking out a subscription to
a mobile operator, and a local administration server. It is also
possible to envisage the local administration server being
incorporated in the same equipment as the radio unit of the
distributed terminal. The radio unit is located in the transport
means (bus, train, boat, tourist coach, etc.). Preferably, the
transmit and receive radio antennas of this module are located
outside the transport means in order to achieve a maximum transmit
and receive mode gain, significantly greater in particular than
that which would be achieved by a user of a conventional terminal
confined inside the transport means. The terminal equipments, for
their part, are distributed to the passengers who want them. Each
can then use the services of interest to them on their own part of
the distributed terminal, independently of the usage made of them
by the other passengers. All the calls, however, pass through the
radio unit. Each user can then be offered a billing according to
his or her consumption. This step can be implemented simply by
paying a bill printed out by the manager of the transport means. In
another embodiment, each user can be given, together with his or
her terminal equipment, a payment card containing a prepaid credit
which is consumed as the terminal is used, until all of the credit
is used up. The price of such a service can be considered to be
less than that required for a "conventional" terminal with a
conventional subscription, since the transport company, in this
example, can offer a service to several users with a single
subscription and can additionally perhaps negotiate scales of
charges (flat rate, etc.) to be paid as appropriate to the mobile
operator providing his or her mobile radio network and the related
services.
In another exemplary application, three people located in the same
space can simultaneously, and using the same subscription,
respectively browse the web on a computer, make a speech call on a
mobile phone and send emails from a personal digital assistant,
provided that these three terminal equipments cooperate, in
accordance with the invention, with a single radio unit. Each has a
dedicated access to the required service with service
characteristics dependent on the terminal equipment used and the
service required (for example, activation of encryption for the
user sending emails). Each can also have details of his or her
personal consumption, which can be used as a basis for producing a
statistical consumption profile, typically giving information on
the average consumption of the users, the most used services, and
so on.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
FIGS. 1 and 2 are simplified diagrams of two examples of systems
according to the invention;
FIG. 3 is an illustration of protocols used according to an
embodiment of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The distributed terminal 3 represented in FIG. 1 is made up of two
types of elements. The first concerns terminal equipments 1 (TE).
There are at least two of these equipments and they can appear in
different forms. For example, a first TE is a computer, a second a
mobile phone, and a third a personal digital assistant. The second
type of element is a radio unit 2 corresponding to a mobile
termination MT.
A number of interfaces are involved. This is in particular the case
between the elements 1 and 2 of the distributed terminal 3, between
which any type of layer 1 interface can be envisaged. A technical
report TR 27.901, version 3.0.0, published in Jan. 2001 by the 3GPP
standardization organization, gives recommendations of use for the
interface between an MT and a TE and potential examples of
interfaces. Three examples have been considered for the three TEs 1
represented in FIG. 1: a serial cable connecting the computer in
the figure to the radio unit 2, an infrared link linking the
personal digital assistant represented and the radio unit 2, a
Bluetooth wireless technology as represented between the mobile
phone in FIG. 1 and the MT. This technology is advantageous because
it has the benefit of offering freedom of movement and a degree of
autonomy for the user of a TE 1 with respect to the MT 2 which may
if necessary be fixed, in as much as that technology is based on a
connection by radio channel. Thus, each TE has at least a means of
connection to the MT 2 according to a given technology.
For each layer 1 technology considered, the MT 2 comprises an
interface module 23 for communicating with the TEs 1. The MT 2 also
has a radio interface 20 and at least one antenna 24 via which the
information streams from or to a cellular mobile radio network 4
are sent and received.
The cellular network 4 is connected to other networks, for example
the Internet 6 or the public switched telephone network (PSTN) 7.
The radio interface 20 used is a standardized air interface
according to a known system, typically of GSM or UMTS type,
involving a base station subsystem for communicating by radio with
the terminals and switches routing the traffic and the signaling
within the mobile radio network. These switches comprise mobile
switching centers (MSC) for the circuit mode and GPRS support nodes
(GSN) for the packet mode. Some of the MSCs, called GMSC (gateway
MSC), serve as a gateway with external circuit switched networks,
such as the PSTN 7. Some of the GSNs, called GGSN (gateway GSN),
serve as a gateway with external packet switched networks, such as
the Internet 6. A last interface is represented in FIGS. 1 and 2:
it is the interface that links the MT 2 and the local
administration server 5 which is detailed below.
In the embodiment illustrated by FIG. 2, the MT 2 is equipped with
a single Bluetooth type interface 23 for point-to-multipoint mode
communication with the various TEs 1. The distributed terminal 3
then uses a sort of local radio network.
FIG. 3 diagrammatically represents protocols used on the various
interfaces. At this stage, the protocols are illustrated for the
case of a terminal 3 comprising a single TE 1. It can be seen that
the modules TE 1 and MT 2 communicate using a layer 2 protocol. In
a typical embodiment, a point-to-point type protocol (PPP) is used
between the elements 1 and 2 of the distributed terminal 3. This
protocol is in fact a suite of protocols and has been standardized
by the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) organization in
document RFC 1661 published in Jul. 1994. Since this protocol is
independent of the physical layer used, it represents an effective
solution for information interchanges between all types of TE and
the radio unit MT 2. However, any other type of data link protocol
can be considered for the calls between TE and MT.
The TEs 1 also have higher protocol layers. For example, in FIG. 3,
the TE 1 has an IP (Internet Protocol) type network layer. Above
this network layer, there can be various transport or application
layers, dependent on the services concerned. Other protocol layers
are of course possible, in particular at the transport,
presentation and application levels of the OSI model. Technical
specification TS 27.060, version 3.5.0, published in March 2001 by
the 3GPP organization, explains, in its section 9, a communication
model identical to that used in this example and describes the
mapping of the IP layer present in the TE to the PPP layer present
in the TE and the MT, in particular for the configuration functions
culminating in the activation of a PDP context.
The cellular network 4 comprises a radio part including the base
stations, with the protocol layers provided by the standardized air
interfaces for the technology used, and a core network including
the MSCs and GSNs. The calls between the MT 2 and the GGSN 8 of the
network 4 are based, in the example of FIG. 3, on a GPRS-dedicated
protocol, known per se. In this case, the radio interface 20 is
that defined in the GSM system. However, other types of radio
access can be used such as that of the UMTS system, for
example.
The GGSN 8 acts as an IP router on interchanges between a TE 1 and
an application server 9. This is the first router of the IP network
seen from the TE. It will be noted that other IP routers (not
shown) will typically be present between the GGSN 8 and the server
9.
If, for example, the TE 1 sends IP datagrams to an application
server 9, it encapsulates them in the PPP protocol to transmit them
to the radio unit 2. The latter modifies the format of PPP frames
to adapt them to the packets used in GPRS. The packets are then
sent by the module 2 to the telecommunication network 4 according
to the GPRS protocol. A dedicated communication radio channel is
used for this purpose to transmit the information from the radio
unit 2 to the network 4. On receiving the data, the GGSN of the
network 4 de-encapsulates the data and retrieves the IP datagrams
sent by the TE module 1. These datagrams are then routed within the
network 6 according to the IP protocol to the server 9. The latter
is then able to receive the data transmitted by the TE 1 and, where
appropriate, to return other data to it.
Let us now consider the case of several TEs 1 wanting to
interchange information with the network 4. To remain within the
illustrated GPRS example, two TEs 1 can each independently make a
PDP context activation request. For this, the protocols represented
in FIG. 3 still apply for each of the TEs 1 used. The radio unit 2
routes the requests to the GGSN which processes them in turn
independently. Radio resources are then activated between the MT 2
and the network 4 comprising base stations not represented in FIG.
3 but designed to communicate with the module 2 and the GGSN. These
radio resources are independent since they are dedicated to each of
the TEs involved. Typically, a transport channel TCH will be
activated to transport the data from a given TE. The TCHs dedicated
to the various users are supported by different time slots, even by
different frequencies.
Similarly, if we consider the UMTS system rather than the GPRS
system, the channels used for the various TEs 1 can be defined by
different spreading codes or even be multiplexed on a single code.
In this sense, the activation of a number of PDP contexts is
achieved in the same way as in the case where only one TE requires,
for its own use, a number of PDP context activations, as summarized
above.
According to the invention, the information interchanged for each
of the PDP contexts is routed from or to the TE 1 concerned via the
point-to-point link that links the radio unit MT 2 to each of the
TE equipments 1. To this end, each TE 1 used has a specific
identifier which enables the MT 2 to map the PDP contexts to the
various TEs 1 in order, for example, to send the data intended for
a TE only over the appropriate interface. For example, as is the
case in FIG. 2 where a Bluetooth interface is used between the MT 2
and a TE 1, the latter have an OUI (organizationally Unique
Identifier) address encoded on 48 bits, as defined in section 5 of
the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)
standard 802-1990 published in 1990. The mapping can be performed
by a control module 21 inside the MT 2. In another embodiment, the
MT 2 sends the packets corresponding to a PDP context over all its
interfaces 23 with the TEs 1. The packets contain an identifier
specific to the PDP context. Each TE then receives the packets and
takes them into account if they are implemented for a PDP context
that concerns it. In the uplink direction, all of the packets
transmitted by the TEs 1 are received by the MT 2 which then routes
them indiscriminately toward the network.
The abovementioned control module 21 can also be used in
implementing advanced functions for managing the traffic of the
various TEs 1. Such a control module 21 can already be found in the
known model of a terminal typically equipped with GPRS technology,
and therefore capable of supporting a number of PDP context
activations successively or simultaneously. The functions offered
by this control module 21 are, for example, scheduling the setting
up of the PDP contexts, where appropriate according to a queuing
mechanism. This means that the PDP contexts will be activated
according to an order predefined by the module 21 according to the
time when the corresponding requests are received by this module.
The queuing mechanism can, for example, be used, when a number of
PDP contexts are already open, to avoid immediately rejecting a new
PDP context activation request, and instead place it in the queue
until the terminal concerned can deal with it.
The control module 21 can also handle priority management, in other
words decide to activate or maintain one PDP context as opposed to
another or in place of another, if it is required by a TE to which
a predefined priority has been assigned that is greater than the
user of the other PDP context.
Yet another example of functions handled by the control module 21
is a service quality management enabling the MT 2 to negotiate a
service level with the network 4. This can be used to grant an
appropriate service level according to the wishes of the user of a
TE and what the network 4 is capable of effectively offering it for
each PDP context. In the present invention where several TEs 1 are
involved, the control module 21 operates in the same way as for the
case of a single TE.
As was summarized in the introduction, another embodiment of the
invention could be based on the use of a mobile radio network 4
according to the UMTS technology. In this case, a distributed
terminal 3 according to the invention has, as in the case of the
GPRS system, the capability of activating and maintaining a number
of PDP contexts successively or simultaneously, but it can also,
with the multicall function described above, activate and maintain
several speech calls using a circuit mode transmission. Thus, each
TE 1 can make a speech call independently of the other TEs; all of
the speech calls being routed through the radio unit 2 supporting
the UMTS radio technology.
The MT 2 is equipped with a single subscriber identification module
40 which can be a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card in the case
of the GPRS or a USIM (Universal Subscriber Identity Module) card
in the case of the UMTS. Several data or speech calls, in the UMTS
context, are then routed successively or simultaneously for various
TEs 1 while having a single subscription identification module 40
on the MT 2. However, the MT can also contain several SIM/USIM
cards. In the latter case, the MT 2 manages the two subscriptions
in a juxtaposed and independent manner. The benefit of multiplying
the subscriptions in the MT 2, or even of juxtaposing several MTs 2
with its associated TEs, is to increase the number of calls
possible simultaneously, since, in GPRS for example, only a limited
number of PDP contexts can be activated for a subscriber.
FIGS. 1 and 2 also show a local administration server 5. The latter
interchanges information with the TEs 1. These interchanges can be
conducted via a Bluetooth type wireless connection or a wired
interface between the server 5 and the MT 2 (example in FIG. 1).
The MT 2 then relays the interchanges between the TEs 1 and the
local administration server 5 based on the physical addresses that
they contain. It should be noted that the local administration
server 5 can be an integral part of the radio unit 2.
In the embodiment in FIG. 2, the administration server 5 is one of
the stations of the Bluetooth technology local radio network used
for the distributed terminal. In this case, the local
administration server 5 has, like the other TE and MT elements, an
OUI type address.
The local administration server 5 can handle a large number of
supervision operations within the subsystem that it comprises with
the TEs 1 and the MT 2. It can, for example, control the various
TEs 1, run certain predefined maintenance tests, for example a
presence test designed to ask a TE 1 to respond to a request to
check its operation and that of the various interchanges
involved.
It can also handle authentication of the TEs wishing to communicate
with the mobile radio network 4 via the MT 2. The server 5 in
practice has a list of the authorized TEs on the subsystem. If a TE
1 tries to access the network 4, it sends an access request to the
MT 2 which relays it to the server 5. The latter analyzes the
identifier value transmitted by the TE 1 in its access request and
compares it to the list that it stores. When the identifier, which
may, for example, be the physical address of the TE 1, matches an
entry in the list, the local administration server 5 returns an
access authorization to the TE 1 typically via the MT.
Furthermore, the local administration server 5 can authorize the
encryption of the information interchanged between a TE 1 and the
MT 2 independently of any encryptions applied to the interchanges
between the MT 2 and the cellular network 4. The activation of
encryption between a TE 1 and the MT 2 can, for example, be
achieved as follows: the local administration server 5 stores an
encryption key that it shares with a TE 1 and the MT 2. This key
remains secret, in other words it is never transmitted explicitly
over the radio. The server 5 sends to the TE 1 an
activation-message containing a random number, via the MT 2. The TE
1 then returns to the server 5 an acknowledgement message which
confirms that the next information interchanges with the MT 2 will
be encrypted. On the MT 2 and the TE 1, a predefined algorithm
taking into account the values of the secret key and of the random
number received is then implemented and will be used to encrypt the
future information interchanges between the MT 2 and the TE 1
concerned.
On signaling and user information interchanges, a TE 1 and the MT 2
intercommunicate directly without the mediation of the local
administration server 5.
Another aspect of the invention concerns the analysis and
administration of the activity of each TE 1. Measurements of the
activity of each TE 1 are taken either by a single module reserved
for that purpose in the MT 2, or, preferably, by a measurement
module 11 present in each TE 1, as illustrated in FIG. 2.
Therefore, for each TE 1, measurements are taken concerning its own
activity, in other words the quantity of information that it
interchanges with the MT 2 and, through it, with the network 4. For
example, the measurement module 11 of a TE 1 can count the volume
of data, as a number of kilobytes, sent by the network 4 to the TE.
It can also count the number of requests of a predefined type
originating from the TE and intended for the network 4, such as,
for example, a number of "clicks" (corresponding to the sending of
a URL) made by a user browsing web pages. It can even calculate the
duration of a call, such as a speech call, between the TE and the
network 4 without distinguishing transmission directions. Other
measurements characterizing the activity of the TEs 1 can obviously
be considered.
These measurements can then be subjected to an analysis and
administration by the local administration server 5. The
measurement modules 11 can send it a statement of the measurements
taken, for example periodically, following an event (end of call
for example) or even on request. The server 5 then consolidates
these measurements according to predefined rules (tariff applicable
according to the TEs, according to the services used, etc.), so as
to produce a bill for each TE 1, which the user can pay
immediately. In another advantageous embodiment, a TE 1 is equipped
with a module 12 for reading a payment means, typically a prepaid
card containing a credit in units. In this case, the local
administration server 5 can, where appropriate via the MT 2,
communicate with the TE 1 to check the usage of the TE against the
remaining units of credit, the latter being decremented as the
services offered are used, according to a predetermined tariff.
When the credit is used up, the server 5 is notified and orders
access to the network for the TE concerned to be stopped, unless
the user of the TE can top up his or her credit before the service
is stopped.
The invention can have a multitude of applications. It can, for
example, be used to equip each bus of a tourism company with a
radio unit MT with an associated subscription, and a certain number
of terminal equipments TE capable of communicating with the MT and
with a cellular network in accordance with the invention. A number
of tourists in the bus can make speech calls, send emails, transmit
virtual postcards via websites, and so on, independently of each
other. Billing will, for example, be handled by the driver of the
bus or even via a payment or credit card. The tariffs applied by
the tourism company for the various speech or data calls can be
advantageous compared to the use of a conventional multimedia
terminal equipped with means of communication with the cellular
network, because they can be negotiated with a mobile phone
operator, for example. Another benefit of such an application is
that the user of a TE has transmit and receive resources of the MT,
which can be arranged to obtain a maximum gain, typically by
locating the radio antennas outside the bus. This therefore
provides the user with a transmission quality and therefore a
service quality quite superior to that which he or she could have
obtained, alone, using a simple mobile terminal inside the bus. The
security of the interchanges is furthermore ensured in particular
by the authentication and encryption procedures described
previously.
In another application model, based on the same technical
considerations, the system according to the invention including the
distributed terminal 3 can be used in a mountain refuge or any
other location difficult to access where a shared subscription to a
cellular network is of interest.
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